Construction of new amenities planned for Rotary Park could begin as soon as March 18, Moab City Engineer Rebecca Andrus told the Moab City Council on Tuesday.

The city had initially expected to complete a major renovation to the park last year. City staff had hoped to have all of the work done by the end of last summer. However, because of issues with an irrigation line, as well as other delays, much of the construction was put on hold, officials said at the March 12 council meeting.

According to Moab City Planning Director David Olsen, some of the new features have already been installed at the park, including a statue of a frog that will eventually become a water feature. The park also received a new pavilion and additional instruments in the musical playground.

Much of the work that was slated for last summer was forced to wait. “We had a lot of delays,” Andrus said. Some of the money budgeted for the project ended up being needed for other emergency projects, Moab City Director of Public Works Jeff Foster said.

The new construction will all be done on the northeast side of the park above the area where the amphitheater is currently located, Andrus said. In addition to new bathrooms and extra parking, the city will also install new picnic tables and a set of stairs that lead from the upper area of the park down to the amphitheater.

“It’s going to be a lot more visible,” Foster said.

Andrus said city staff is “really excited” about getting the project going.

“It’s going to make a big difference,” she said. “Most people don’t even know the amphitheater is there. With the new addition it will be more accessible. People will be able to enjoy it a lot more.”

The original plans for the park had also included a basketball court that would have shared a surface with the amphitheater. But Andrus said that when the bids for the project came in, the basketball court pushed the renovation cost higher than the city’s budget for the project. She said the city still intends to build the courts at some time in the future.

Foster said all of the changes should be done by mid-May with the exception of adding some grass, plants and trees. He also said the current bathrooms will remain open while construction is taking place.

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